Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Otherworld Cheat Harem.

Episode 31: Mastery (1).

Hanyoung broke through the dungeon wall and gaped at the shimmering door inside.

“…What is that?”

“Not sure. It’s a standard rule for places like this to have hidden dungeons or secret zones, but…”

“It’s not a shortcut, right?”

“Of course not.”

The newly revealed wall was not the shortcut we were looking for. It was something more. The very secret of the dungeon that had never been uncovered until now.

“…Should we go in?”

“Won’t it be dangerous?”

“It should be okay. Look at the members we have here.”

At those words, I glanced at the group gathered in this spot. Seoyoon, who could attack from a distance, and Eunha, Hanyoung, and I, who handled close combat, along with his two lackeys. Aram, our healer, and even Deokgu, who was useful as a porter.

It wasn’t perfect, but not lacking either. They were capable of defeating the monsters on this level without any issues.

Was that all? Each of them possessed powerful abilities as cheats that others could only dream of, so their actual combat power was likely double or triple.

‘Regardless of who appears, they are a force to be reckoned with. Gathering more than this is difficult…’

Traditionally, leveled-up adventurers were rare talents, and though there may be slight differences, they were a group that didn’t find it hard to make a living.

They weren’t the type to risk themselves exploring an unknown door. More explorers than adventurers, really.

“You decide.”

Seoyoon said. Starting with her, the other kids chimed in one by one.

“Since it’s about the dungeon, you’re the leader… we’ll follow your opinion.”

“Is this an additional request? Do we get paid more?”

I looked around at the group. Each one was deferring the decision, but there was no fear in their eyes.

Rather, a childish curiosity gleamed within them. Their hesitation was merely an excuse in case things went south.

Even if it went awry, they were not worried about their lives being in danger. They were that confident in their abilities.

“…Then, I’m going in.”

“That’s the spirit!”

Upon hearing my words, Hanyoung struck the door with a hammer. Bang! His hammer, which had even broken dungeon walls, did not leave a scratch on the door, which began to open slowly.

[First of all, thank you.]

Inside was a large sword.

And a giant orc that matched the sword.

[I thought I would never open my eyes again.]

The orc, sitting with its back turned, slowly stood up. It was a huge opening. But it was so massive that it didn’t even look like an opening.

“What is that idiot saying?”

And naturally, Hanyoung, seeing it as an opening, rushed in and swung his hammer down. The hammer, with the destructive power of several tons, struck the orc’s back.

Creak, and before I knew it, the greatsword in its hand deflected the hammer effortlessly.

[No time for greetings, is there.]

The orc swung at Hanyoung as if playing baseball. With speed uncharacteristic of its size, Hanyoung flew far off and crashed into a wall.

I immediately signaled Aram to heal Hanyoung. At my command, Deokgu and Aram simultaneously ran towards him.

I drew my sword. Compared to the orc’s greatsword, it was pathetically small.

And yet, all of humanity’s ancestors were giant killers who took down beasts larger than themselves with such small weapons.

Believing that such blood also flowed in me, I gripped my sword.

“Anyone here Christian?”

The kids looked at me as if questioning why I’d ask such a thing in this situation. Feeling their stares, I muttered.

“Pray in advance. It might be too late after you die.”

It seemed my joke didn’t land well. They just remained silent. Embracing the awkwardness, I charged forward.

It was said that the dungeon appeared hundreds of years ago. So long ago that it wasn’t even recorded.

Therefore, this great warrior had been waiting inside for hundreds of years as well.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what this sword-wielding orc did during that long time.

Swinging the sword, preparing for the opponent who would soon come…

However, contrary to the great warrior’s thoughts, that encounter never came. Even after hundreds of years…

[Thank you.]

The emotion the orc felt upon awakening from an excessively long solitude was not obligation or joy, but gratitude.

Gratitude toward the adversary who finally found him.

Though he was momentarily disappointed at the adversaries not being very skilled, the great warrior orc was thankful even for that.

Because it meant he could end this battle whenever he wanted.

“Damn, what is this?!”

Hanyoung, healed by Aram, shouted as he charged. There was no refined technique in his actions. Only strength. Pure strength.

And with just that strength, he broke through to the 15th floor.

“DIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!”

Believing in Aram’s presence, Hanyoung swung his hammer with all his might. The scales that emerged on his arm couldn’t cover certain areas. Like the muscles on his back and lower body bursting out, completing this strike.

The great warrior knew that the force contained in that blow was stronger than himself. Therefore, he understood that it was dangerous to engage directly.

Fortunately, he had practiced many techniques for such situations. Very many.

The technique he practiced during the first year of hundreds of years was being demonstrated. The greatsword successfully deflected the hammer at an accurate and perfect angle.

Hanyoung, having failed in his attack, fully absorbed the aftermath. Originally, this backlash should have been shared half and half with the opponent, but he took it all alone.

The burden taken with his whole body’s muscles ruptured was immense. He became incapacitated by his own attack.

“Fall back.”

Dojin, throwing Hanyoung back, frowned and faced the orc.

Aram’s cheat ability was not like an endlessly flowing elixir spring. It was an ability with a clear limit. Recklessly overusing it was not very wise.

‘All that talk about being carried, yet his own skills are garbage.’

It was an irritating matter. However, complaining here was not an option. It was directly related to the team’s morale.

Putting aside the fact that the person who consecutively got eliminated twice was the main reason for the drop in morale.

Dojin raised his sword and stood before the giant orc. The warrior orc was huge. Incredibly huge. So much so that the ogre he saw from a distance during the festival barely compared.

There weren’t many techniques to use against such a large opponent. After all, on Earth, there was no need to learn techniques against a 3-meter giant.

Therefore, even if it wasn’t swordsmanship, Dojin launched a rather threatening attack. The weaknesses he identified by capturing countless orcs.

He targeted the Achilles tendon and the arteries running through the orc’s thigh.

The vulnerability seemed to pose a threat even to the gigantic orc, as the great warrior swiftly swung his sword to drive Dojin back.

Though the sword was swung as if swatting a fly, its power was far beyond that.

It brushed past with a force strong enough to fend off even a dragon, and simultaneously, Seoyoon, watching from afar, sent a massive icicle flying.

Since it was an attack she had been silently waiting for without any prior assault, the great warrior could not react in time.

[You!]

And at the moment his thigh was pierced by that attack, the great warrior instinctively realized that she could end this battle swiftly.

In a very unfavorable direction.

The orc let out a mighty roar. It was the orc’s battle cry. As ever, the roar of a powerful warrior alone was enough to become an attack.

Dojin’s group was startled by the sound and paused for a moment, and the opportunity was seized by the great warrior, who stepped forward with full force. His strength, comparable to that of an ogre, pushed the ground away and explosively propelled his body.

It seemed that no one could stop that charge. Even Seoyoon didn’t see that the orc was approaching her.

At that moment, Eunha quietly appeared. By human standards, this small girl was practically invisible from the orc’s perspective.

Thus, he couldn’t see her pulling back her fist.

Tiger’s Fist of Passion.

Riding a Tiger’s Momentum.

Eunha’s body darted out fiercely. It was a beast-like momentum. Indeed, even feeling that momentum, he couldn’t ignore her, but the great warrior had no way to evade it.

‘Hah, I’ll just take the hit and endure.’

However, outwardly, the size difference between her and the orc was all too evident. Realizing that there was a limit to how much strength she could muster with her body, the great warrior gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

And the three-meter giant soared through the air.

[?!]

The orc paused for a moment, dumbfounded by the absurdity of the situation. By the time he regained his senses, Seoyoon had long vanished.

[What is… this?]

A strike that seemed impossible to believe came from the body of a young girl. The orc guessed it was not much different from Hanyoung’s strike. Even if he had known, taking it head-on would have caused significant damage.

[Who are you people?]

The orc, assuming that the girl who had done this to him would not be unscathed, scanned the battlefield. Indeed, Eunha’s arms were not in perfect condition either, but she quickly recovered with the power of Aram.

And watching her immediately join the battle, the great warrior acknowledged that he was facing not a weak boy or girl, but a formidable opponent.

[I apologize.]

“Sorry, my ass. You talk too much, like a nerd.”

Hanyoung, having gained the upper hand, approached with a playful grin. The orc gripped the sword with both hands as he watched.

[I’m not sure what that means, but I know you’re insulting me.]

“Your tone is also annoying…”

Then, the orc didn’t respond with words. He swung his sword with full force. Unable to endure the insult. Centuries of solitude had stripped him of patience.

And a head-on confrontation, which was Hanyoung’s favorite situation. No monster was ever stronger than him.

The great warrior was no different. The orc’s greatsword and Hanyoung’s hammer clashed. With a fierce noise, the arms of both were left tattered.

“AHAHAHAHAHA!”

Kang Hanyoung, fueled by adrenaline from excessive injuries, burst into laughter. The orc was the same.

While the two laughed maniacally, the rest of the party moved very strategically.

The delinquent, who could move bodies quickly, swiftly transported Dojin behind the orc. From afar, the delinquent with the ability to hide his presence revealed himself alongside Seoyoon.

Seoyoon, the orc’s primary target. The one with the power to end this fight in an instant.

As she appeared, the orc, who had been laughing maniacally, immediately prepared to charge at her.

From behind, the orc’s calf muscles looked about to burst with tension. It was a perfect spot to strike.

Dojin focused his energy into his sword.

Extreme Yang Body.

The energy, hot enough to seem as if it would burn his own body, surged through his entire body and flowed directly into the sword.

Dojin’s sword became a blazing fire sword. It seemed like it could cut through anything. Even the Achilles tendon of a giant orc.

Moments later, with the sizzling sound of burning flesh, the orc lost its balance and fell forward. He didn’t even know why he had fallen.

“Nice finishing blow!”

Kang Hanyoung’s hammer came crashing down on the head of the fallen warrior. The defenseless warrior had no way to withstand such an attack.

As with many other monsters on the 10th floor, the warrior’s head burst open.

That was the end. His body didn’t even turn into a mana stone.

However, one significant change occurred.

[You have defeated the ruler of the 10th floor.]

[You have acquired dominion over the 10th floor.]

An alarm, like one heard in a game, rang in Dojin’s mind.